When Aaron Edge first hit me up to put out a CD by his band Roareth, I had barely given thought to starting a record label as an extension of what I was doing with The Obelisk. It was one of many passing ideas that, were it not for his “get off your ass and do it” — a bonus considering it didn’t actually require I get off my ass — I probably would never have had the motivation to make it happen. I know The Maple Forum hasn’t exactly changed the world, but I’ve been able to support projects I believe in and I’ve had a lot of fun in the process. Aaron Edge was instrumental in making that happen.

To run through the list of bands Aaron has been in over the years is an exhausting undertaking. In and out of acts like Roareth (short-lived and badass as they were), Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Harkonen, Iamthethorn, Grievous, he’s also done design work for Southern Lord, YOB, and countless others. He designed the Maple Forum logo that I use on all the label’s sporadic releases. Some people just can’t sit still, and that’s an ethic that has seen Aaron move from Seattle to Los Angeles to Portland over the last several years, all the while remaining an active part of both the creative underground and building a name and having an impact in the world of distance biking and running with the #furtherfasterforever hash tag and the community that’s built up around it.

Aaron was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis on March 6 after months of pain and tests. When he emailed me last night, he was in the ER again. The pain is tremendous and of a scale matched perhaps only by the medical bills. There’s no cure, and on freelancer wages, he’s taken a hit on the financial end as well as physically and emotionally. A fund has been set up to help Aaron keep up with the costs of his treatment — which will be ongoing — and the good people at #furtherfasterforever are giving a shirt away with donations the design for which you can see below:

So, as it was Aaron’s call to action that inspired me to start The Maple Forum, I hope you’ll take the time and give him some support when he needs it most.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 21st, 2013 at 11:25 am and is filed under Label Stuff.
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